The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1887-01-01
SATURDAY, JANUARY l, 1887.
THE OLD AND NEW YEAR.


Another year has flown into the
past, bearing on its wings events great
and little in the history OF man the
little, perhaps, in the aggregate invol-
wing more Of joy and sorrow, or hope
and despair, to the race than the great
In this insular realm the rush of great
events is not felt as in communities
in closer communication with the rest
of The world, but the interest in inter
national affairs is made keen here from
the infrequency with which udings Of
their evolutiCns come to band So the
main question after, ANY news Of the
treaty ?" in this Kingdom during the
past year as foreign mai! approached
has been, as there going 70 be war in
EuropeT And at every fresh arrival
Of intelligence, almost, it looked as If
the next was certain to bring accounts
Of the great powers of Europe engaged
in tremendous conflict, which would
change maps, shift the balance of
power and have time-lasting effects on
the destinies Of mankind. But the
year has closed in virtual peace through
out the globe, although fresh phase
Of the Eastern question, together with
threatening aspect in the relations
between Germany and France, are at
this moment causes of grave appre-
hension. There has been no greater
proportion OF disasters en- land and sea
than in late preceding years, but one
notable one has occurred in the earth
quake wrecking Of the beautiful city
Of Charleston in the United States,
attended with heavy fatality and untold
misery. From our intimate relations
with that great neigbboring country, it
was natural that this calamity should
have evoked the heartfelt sympathies
Of our people, which they we're ready
to prove in practical manner had not
word come that there was no outside
relief required In the closing days Of
the year, also, came news Of two de-
plorable marine disasters right at San
Francisco and still worse one on the
Mississippi river. Honolulu has bad a
severe stroke in the great fire that de-
vastated the Chinese quarter and valua-
bic property on its borders on the 18th
Of April Although this was not an
unmingled misfortune-for it purified
otherwise irremediably filthy slums and
gave the opportunity for making wider
streets and better buildings yet there
is no doubt 1t caused such a severe
drain on the means Of large and small
propety-holders in the burnt district
as to very materially depress business
in general. This is the opinion of well
informed business men, who attribute
much Of the dullness OF the past few
months to the consequences of the
fire.
Politics have filled the air more in
Hawaii the past year than should have
been due even in the legislative year
The elections resulted in signal tri-
umph for what called itself the INA
tionap party, but 1t proved too intensely
national party for the foreigners who
helped it to power The Government
Of that day, in power during the pre-
uous biennial session, had something
like practical policy in the shape of
various measures, in amendment of the
laws and to provide for needed public
improvements. Some OF these we're
perfected and some were at different
stages of advancement, when by mid
night plot the only practical men in the
Cabinet were thrust out one Of them